


Here For A Reason - Part 6

by LoveYourArtFriend



Series: Here For A Reason [6]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Chris Evans - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Romance, Steve Rogers Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 07:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18493852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveYourArtFriend/pseuds/LoveYourArtFriend





	Here For A Reason - Part 6

Bzzzzzz.

Bzzzzzz.

“Ugh, I hate that thing.” You reached over and picked up your phone. It showed it was 4:00 a.m. and a text had arrived from Fury.

NF: Meet me on the Bridge at 05:00.

“Sounds like a good time,” you commented as you slowly slid out of bed. It took you a whole fifteen minutes to get ready and head to the Mess Hall for some grub…..and coffee…..definitely coffee. After a few moments in caffeine heaven, the remainder of the team trickled in, begging for their share of the brown nectar. They found their places around the table with you and slow, morning conversations began to flow. You and Steve exchanged a quick glance and smile, caught by Natasha who nonchalantly kicked Steve under the table. As he jumped, in surprise, you blushed (not a surprise!) and everyone knew what was going on. You scanned all their faces and each and every one of them had a small smirk brewing. Panic set in and you scrambled to speak and change the topic to something less embarrassing. You looked at Steve with huge eyes before you stood up.

“Will anyone want a second coffee? I’ll grab the carafe.” You stood then worked your way over to the coffee maker.

Turning back toward the table, Sam spoke up, “Absolutely, thanks ‘f/n’. I have this feeling that with everything going on today, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

_….all the help we can get.….all the help we can get._

You froze on the spot, carafe still in hand. Your eyes widened and Sam looked at you, worried. “‘F/n’, are you okay?” he asked, starting to stand up.

Everyone’s faces turned toward you and all you could do was glance over them, your mind was reeling with Sam’s comment.

Bruce stood up, “‘F/n’! What’s the matter?” he asked rather quickly. Steve started to rise from his seat.

Suddenly you snapped from your train of thought. “No, no, I’m okay, really.” You quickly walked to the table and put the carafe down in front of Sam. You put your hand on his shoulder, “You gave me an idea and I have to go find the Director. Thank you, Sam….you’re the best!” You squeezed his shoulder and headed over to Bruce. Placing your hand on his arm you reassured, “I’m totally fine, Bruce. I’m sorry I panicked you. I’ll see you all on the Bridge in a bit.” With that, you hurried out of Mess Hall, leaving everyone’s faces ajar.

“Does her brain ever turn off?” Natasha asked with a smirk.

“No,” Tony answered immediately. Bruce nodded in agreement. “She has ideas floating around in there constantly, just itching to get out. You should see her in the lab….it’s like, if she can’t get the brainwaves out, she’ll explode. I love that kid.”

“She definitely has a lot on her mind,” Steve spoke softly.

Sam reached his arm around Steve’s shoulder. “She’s a keeper, man!” he reassured him. With that, Steve knew that everyone was aware of how close the two of you were getting and they had all given you both space, while silently approving.

“Thanks, Sam,” Steve spoke, then looked at everyone at the table. With a blush on his face he stated, “We just don’t want this to interfere with what we do. She’s afraid of what Fury might say if he finds out.”

“Oh, he definitely knows,” Natasha chuckled. 

“What? How did….”

“We all know, Steve.” Nat reached across the table and put her hand on top of Steve’s. “You’ve never been happier and it’s obvious. You’d better enjoy it now before Tony starts teasing the snot out of you both.”

Everyone started laughing and standing from the table. Time to face the music on the Bridge with Fury.

~~~~~~

“Morning, Maria, do you know where Fury is?”

“Morning, ‘f/n’, he’s in his office.”

“Thanks.” You walked over and knocked on his door.

“Enter.”

“Good Morning, Sir.”

“‘L/n’, what can I do for you?”

“Sir, I have an idea that I hoped I could share with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Sir, Wilson said this morning that we need all the help we can get with this mission. While I agree and we have our own agents and Air Force in place, Sir, what about ground forces? Could we not use any of our battalions to help out, to secure our perimeters? For example, my former regime should still be in Syria. They’re only two miles outside of Damascus and probably only fifty miles or so from the weapons site. Could we not send them ahead of time to secure outer perimeters before our agents and pilots get in there? Colonel Rhodes could get special permissions to contact any units that might be somewhat close to these sites.”

Nick sat back and thought about the idea. It was grandiose and risky to keep bringing in military troops, but ‘f/n’ was right, we could use all the help we could get. Might make things operate more smoothly. He turned his attention to his phone that was sitting beside him on his desk. He shot off a quick text to Rhodes, asking him to join you both. “I’m not a fan of involving too much military but I just asked Rhodes to meet us. I want to see if this is feasible because theoretically, it could work to our benefit.”

“Thank you for entertaining the idea, Sir.”

A knock came quickly to the door and Fury waved Rhodes in.

“An idea has come up and I want to know if it will work,” Nick spoke to Rhodes as he came and stood beside you.

“Good Morning, Sir,” you said to the Colonel.

It was 4:57 a.m. and the remainder of the team made their way to the Bridge, noticing you behind closed doors with Fury and Rhodes. Through the side windows, they saw you were trying to explain something, your arms setting the story by making large motions in the air as you spoke. Fury sat with his hands folded under his chin, nodding and paying close attention. Rhodes kept nodding then brought out his phone, dialed and placed it to his ear. The team all looked at one another while Tony piped up, “I’m telling you, she is so tactical, it’s scary.” Natasha started to giggle while Steve and Sam nodded. 

“Speaking of which,” Bruce directed to Tony, “I’m going to head to the lab to test run a few more of those algorithms. I’ve got it narrowed down to the last few formulas that ‘f/n’ suggested. I want to get on it right away.” He turned and left the Bridge while Tony nodded in agreement. Tony turned to Sam and stated that he made sure Steve took you out of his R&D lab because he and Bruce couldn’t keep up with you. 

Sam started to laugh. “She’s giving you a run for your money, Stark. Try to keep up, old man!”

“Easy, Birdman!” Tony exclaimed.

“And, there it is!” Sam laughed and shook his head.

Steve and Natasha chuckled and continued to watch what was going on in Fury’s office. You sat down in a chair and Rhodes paced back and forth while still on his phone. Shortly, he pulled his phone away from his ear and looked down at the screen. He plugged it into the hub at Fury’s table and projected it on the large wall screen. Rhodes walked over to it and pointed to a few areas. Shortly, you and Nick stood up and headed for the door.

The team gathered around the large table when you opened Fury’s door. You sat at the computer console and logged in. On the massive screen behind the Director, the map you had all seen the day before popped up, complete with all the red dotted targets. “All right gang, we are in the middle of this love triangle, here, with the primary hub and smaller satellites in Afghanistan. Agent ‘l/n’ suggested using ground troops to assist with perimeter security. Colonel Rhodes has been granted permission to access three different regiments to assist us and is currently making his calls in my office. The regiments are here in Afghanistan, one in Iran and one in Syria. The closest camp here is situated between the two satellite locations so we are having the troops go and secure those two perimeters before our S.H.I.E.L.D. and Air Force jets get in there. The hub is a different story. I’m going to have Rogers and Romanoff get in there and secure the perimeter before heading inward to the bunker. I’m not sending Stark on this one as bad things tend to happen when he’s in this country. Agent ‘l/n’, please fill them in.”

“Yes, Sir. Captain, we’re going send extra agents with you on the Quinjet.” You got up and began to point at the large screen. “I don’t want you to land here at this closer location, it’s too risky. You’ll need to land here, about two miles out, separate your agents and send some to a perimeter around the bunker. That will take a while before the remainder of agents can move inward to sweep. Once secure, our AF pilots can land here, at the closer clearing, and hopefully loading the weapons will not be a long, drawn out affair. Satellite shows it’s a standard small bunker and can be easily manipulated. Agent Romanoff will have another opportunity to hack their computer system and gather anything that might be stored at that location. AF will bring the weapons back onto the carrier and S.H.I.E.L.D. will blow the bunker when clear, allowing you to get back to Base. The satellites will follow a similar procedure, minus data retrieval. All coordinates are uploaded to your jets and heat signatures will need to be used once you’re closer. We’ll will monitor from here using live satellite feed and data share with the jets.”

Rhodes came out of Fury’s office. “We have a go. The closest battalion should make it to the satellites by 05:30.” 

“We have six birds ready for takeoff, Sir,” Maria commented.

“Alright, you got your invitation. Let’s get this party started,” Fury ordered. “On the jets in ten!”

You watched as Nat and Steve turned away to suit up, Tony headed to the lab and Thor and Sam went to the Bridge window to look to the tarmac while the sun came up. After a couple minutes of satellite prep on screen, you turned to Maria, “I really hope this works because my stomach is churning.”

“Are you alright,” Maria asked, concerned.

“I am, it just feels like organized chaos. Whoever is moving those weapons has a very disjointed plan. There’s no flow to it...it’s very odd.”

“I agree, it’s all over the place.” She looked behind her into Fury’s office, noticing he and Rhodes had gone back in and were both on their phones.

You nodded your head silently when you and Maria were interrupted by an agent confirming over the comm speakers throughout the Bridge, “Rogers and Romanoff are on board. Quinjet One requesting permission for takeoff.”

“Quinjet One, you have clearance for takeoff,” Maria spoke into her headset. 

“Quinjet One confirmed. Ready for takeoff.” You all watched intently as it rose from its spot and flew past the Bridge. Secretly, you loved how it didn’t need a runway.

Maria then released the four jets that were designated to the satellite locations. “Four birds away,” she announced. You were following their path on the screen. “ETA three minutes for primary hub, five minutes satellite one, seven minutes satellite two.” 

Calling out to the satellite locations and speaking to the Major in charge, you confirmed each location’s perimeters were guarded and they had S.H.I.E.L.D. and Air Force jets on the way.

“Quinjet One to Base, we are at the landing site and Captain Rogers has briefed our agents. Heat signatures are on and shared with you. We will notify when bunker is cleared for entry, over.”

“Roger that, Quinjet One. Air Force 041 will be dispatched on your confirmation, Base out.”

“My guess is that Steve will run to the bunker in about four minutes,” you placed your bet with Maria.

“Yeah, but then he’ll have to wait for everyone else because they’re nowhere near as fast,” you both chuckled.

“Quinjet Two to Base, we have landed and are secure at satellite one.”

“AF042 to S.H.I.E.L.D. Base, we have also landed and are secure at satellite one.”

“Base to Quinjet Two and AF042, status confirmed. Good luck out there, Base out.” A few moments later, the third Quin and Air Force jets landed and confirmed their status with you. You wished them all luck.

Maria turned to you again, “You know, ‘f/n’, the suggestion to use ground troops was excellent. I wish we had more troops closer to each location. It would save us a lot of perimeter sweeping.”

Fury and Rhodes came out of the office and walked over to you and Maria. “We have troops lined up for our next trifecta,” Fury stated. “Give me a status update in thirty minutes so we can plan phase two,” he stated as they walked off the Bridge.

“Yes, Sir,” you and Maria stated, simultaneously.

About fifteen minutes later, you could hear, “Rogers to Base, come in.”

“Base to Captain Rogers, go ahead,” you smiled into your response and Maria watched your face.

“The perimeter is set around the hub and heat signatures are negative. We are going in for retrieval. Request Air Force back up, over.”

“Request confirmed, Captain.” Maria held up four fingers before you continued. “Air Force ETA to your location in 4 minutes. Good luck, Sir. Base out.”

“Oooh, so formal,” Maria teased.

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to like that very much, but I guess I have to, right?” your lips gave a half smile.

“AF041, you now have clearance for takeoff,” Maria stated.

“AF041 confirmed. Ready for takeoff.” Within twenty seconds you could hear the thrusters rumble and the jet sped past the Bridge and off the end of the runway.

“AF041, this is Base. Your ETA is three minutes to the designated location. Good luck. Base out.”

Steve and Natasha entered the hub, heading straight for the computer room. Nat plugged in her data drive while Steve stood guard at the door. “She’s very professional, isn’t she!” Nat stated to Steve.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “You said she knows her place among the ranks, it just seems strange for her to be calling me Captain, or Sir.”

“I think Fury’s going to put her out in the field.”

“Oh?” His face saddened.

“She’s more than ready, Steve.”

“I know she’s amazing at what she does….I, I just don’t want anything to happen to her.”

Nat walked over to Steve after completing her data download. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a nice smile. She had no words, just a comforting touch. “I’m set so let’s see how much we have to load on the jet.” They walked out of the room and into the larger area of the bunker. There really wasn’t that much to load and the team found it unusual.

“Do you find it strange that there’s no action around here?” Steve asked Nat.

“Sure do.” She put her hand to her ear. “Agent Romanoff to Base, come in.”

“Base to Agent Romanoff, go ahead,” you said, happy to hear her voice.

“Hub is quiet. Are there any signs of incoming because we’re getting pretty lonely down here.”

You chuckled before replying. “Negative Agent Romanoff. There have been no non-commercial flights and no satellite images showing incoming vehicles anywhere near your location. What’s your weapons status? Over.”

“Minimal. There isn’t much here. We should be loaded within the hour. Romanoff out.”

Within the next twenty minutes, satellite locations one and two were secure and the weapons were being loaded on the aircrafts. Both locations figured they’d be back at Base in under two hours. You contacted the Director on your comm and asked him to join you as you had an update for him. He and Rhodes both came back to the Bridge and you and Maria filled them in on all locations, surmising all personnel would be back at Base within a couple of hours. “I want all birds back at Base before we head to the next trio which means we could be going all night. You’re used to that, right ‘l/n’?” Fury smirked.

“Yes, Sir,” you smiled but secretly thought you should make sure the Mess Hall had lots of coffee on hand throughout the night.

“‘F/n’, why don’t you go take a break. I’ll cover since it’s pretty quiet.”

“Thanks, Maria. I’ll just head down to the lab to see how my boys are doing with the project. See you in a bit.” With that, you left the Bridge and headed to the lab. It took you a bit to remember where it was but you were happy to arrive to see your minions hard at work on the project you gave them. “Hi guys, how’s it going?” you stated enthusiastically while walking through the door.

“Great, ‘f/n’,” Tony replied, “how’s it going up top?”

“Eerily well, actually.” Bruce and Tony looked at you, puzzled. You caught their stares and finished, “Everything is going so well, it doesn’t seem right to me. But, all three teams should be back on the carrier within a couple of hours. I’m actually really excited to see how the project is coming. I’m sorry if it seems like I dropped this on you for you both to finish.”

“Woah, don’t forget who kicked you out of the lab at the tower. You were seven miles ahead of us and we needed to catch up. You didn’t leave us high and dry. This is our thing, Sweets,” Tony reassured, happily.

“Oh, thank you.”

“Actually, ‘f/n’, we may have had a breakthrough,” exclaimed Bruce.

“Oh my God, that’s awesome,” you exclaimed. “So what’s going on?”

“Well,” Bruce started, “we’ve managed to keep containment fields around small objects and the simulations have not failed, at this point. We’re trying to stretch the field to larger objects and do live trials. So, ‘f/n’, it’s very promising. Your theories are coming to fruition.”

“That is excellent!! Suddenly, the boys looked like they were hiding something. “What? Oh no! You are not seriously doing live trials here on the helicarrier, are you?” Bruce put his head back down to his clipboard and Tony started to observe the tiles in the ceiling. “Tony, Nick will have your head if you damage anything.”

“I may have already shot a couple of repulsors,” Tony sheepishly stated as he pointed to a taped off X on the wall that was charred with blast remnants.

All you could muster was a slow head turn and a dropped jaw. “Please just stick to expanding the field with _simulations,_ pleeeeese!!”

“Can’t make promises, Kiddo.”

“You’ll lose your drinking buddy if you blast a hole in this boat and send me spiraling to my death,” you threatened as you headed for the exit.

“Bruce, behave yourself...what were you thinking!” Tony insinuated while waving his pencil at him.

Bruce and you just shook your heads. You smacked your hand to your forehead and figured you’d be doing that a lot around Tony. “Bye guys, thank you for everything. You’re both so amazing….well, maybe Bruce,” you laughed and looked back over your shoulder.

Tony’s jaw dropped open and although his playful eyes knew you were joking, he decided to pour it on thick by pretending to stab himself in the heart with his pencil.

“Catch you later, ‘f/n’,” Bruce responded with a smirk on his face.

You went to the Mess Hall and grabbed another coffee for you and Maria, then headed back to the Bridge. An hour passed before the hub team radioed in that they were heading back, then another half hour before the satellite teams arrived. Maria went and helped with overseeing the weapons unloading and storage with Steve and Nat. Afterward, they all went for debriefing with Fury and Rhodes. You couldn’t wait to hear the detail of this portion of the mission. While all that activity was going on, you managed to do complete all the reconnaissance on the trifecta in Iran. Fury would be sure to give the order to move ahead once he was satisfied with the first teams’ findings. Looking at your watch, it was approaching 11 a.m. “Huh, a day’s work in half a day,” you snickered.

“‘L/n’, my office.”

“Yes, Sir,” you jumped with a slight startle as you turned to see Fury, Rhodes, Maria and Steve walk onto the Bridge and head in your direction. “Have a seat, ‘l/n’, we’re going to talk about this morning’s events,” Fury instructed. You grabbed a seat and Maria settled in on the chair beside you. Steve sat on the other side of you and quickly ran his hand down your back, appreciating being able to be with you even while you were both still working.

Fury pulled out his file from the debriefing and filled you in on its contents. He was happy with the outcome as the teams retrieved over 400 weapons of various degrees, blew the buildings and no casualties. He went on to talk about your reconnaissance pre-mission and Steve spoke about the experience on the ground. It all sounded ‘super’ according to Fury but you weren’t convinced. Your face must have said it all because he called you out.

“‘L/n’, what’s going through your mind?”

You leaned forward, folding your hands on the table in front of you. “Sir, please forgive me for being blunt but this, to me, has been too easy. My mind is reeling as to why everything has been going off without a hitch. Everyone’s been able to get in and out easily and there’s been no interference from anyone….not on the ground, not in the sky…. _no one!_ I find it strange and don’t want to be caught off guard, Sir.” 

“Hmmm, Cap said the same thing.” Fury sat back in his chair, elbows propped on the armrests and fingers entwined at his chin. “You know, I want to trust your decisions,” he hesitated while you turned your eyes down toward the table, feeling something bad coming your way. Steve and Rhodes exchanged glances. “You’re right.” You shot your head up to look at Fury. “This shouldn’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination. This mission is actually very complex and I know you’ve had your head in the game the entire time. Have you got your intel for Iran?”

“Yes, Sir,” you slid your file to Maria who passed it down the table to him. He opened the file and started perusing your notes and photos. Sitting back in your chair, you started wondering what the heck could be going through his mind. You looked over at Rhodes and he just gave an ‘i dunno’ shrug, curiosity getting to him as well. 

He closed the file and tried to stare you down. Your hands started to fidget but instead of looking away, you sat up straight in your chair, knowing he was going to speak. “You need to get in there and get your hands dirty, ‘l/n’. I value your input and if you can give me even more by being part of the show, then it’ll only make this travelling circus stronger. I’m going to send you in for data collection at the next hub. Maria will be your eyes in the sky.” He stood and proceeded toward the door. “I’ll call for a briefing when we’re closer. Hill, start us on a course for the hub. ‘L/n’, get some rest. We’ll be there in a few hours and I need you sharp.”

“Yes, Sir, thank you, Sir.”

He walked out the door and left you stunned. Maria turned immediately and put her hand on top of yours. “You’re in! This is excellent!” You just sat there, eyes wide.

“You’re going to be great, ‘f/n’,” Rhodes piped in. “He really made you sweat it out though,” he chuckled as you all started to laugh.

“That he did,” you commented back.

Maria left the office to plot the new course and Rhodey stayed a few more minutes to give you words of encouragement for your mission. Once he left, it was just you and Steve. Oh how he missed being near you. He reached over and gathered your hand in his. “You know,” he started, “it was strange to hear you talking rank on the comms.”

You smiled, “It felt strange. I really had to keep my head on straight during all that,” you chuckled.

Steve smiled back and gave a tight squeeze to your hand. “You’re going to be great.”

“Thank you,” you gave a shy smile while turning your head and, of course, blushing. “I was going to go to the workout room and walk the treadmill. Do you want to join me or have you walked or run enough this morning?” you smiled.

“Sure I’ll join you, maybe do some weights.” Steve stood and pulled you up to stand and the two of you walked off the Bridge and to the gym. Once inside, you peeled off your jacket to reveal your black S.H.I.E.L.D. t-shirt, clothing that was waiting for you in your quarters when you boarded. You could get used to that! As you headed toward the treadmill, Steve followed behind but stopped you before you stepped on. He held your waist from behind and pulled you back to his body. You let out a surprised yelp as he spun you around, forcing your hands onto his chest for balance. Before you could even get a word out of your mouth, Steve smothered it with his lips, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist. It took you a few nanoseconds to register his sudden movement but when you did, you slid your hands up his chest, onto his broad shoulders and then let your left hand continue upward into his hair. Your movement sent a shiver down his spine and you could feel him slightly inhale. His kiss, harder and more passionate than you felt before. He tilted his head to the other side and continued to claim your lips as his. Your mind was reeling as you leaned into his chest, a motion that almost sent Steve over the edge with desire. His actions were untypical and out of character. This curiosity sat in the back of your mind as he ran his hand up your back and held you tight. A surge of emotions shot through your body as you gasped and unwillingly released from the kiss. Damn it! You looked into his eyes, both of you breathing heavily. You didn’t dare break your gaze as you brought both your hands to his cheeks. Steve didn’t move, fixated on your eyes and trying to calm his breath. “Wow,” was all you could manage to breathe, then smiled before planting a beautiful, soft lip lock on him. It didn’t last long, just enough to let Steve know that you were in this with him and it truly meant something to you.

He ran his hands up your arms to meet your fingers, still gently resting on his face. Slowly pulling them to his lips, he brought them down between the two of you and entwined your fingers. “I wanted to kiss you all morning,” he blushed. “I didn’t mean to be so...uhm….bold.”

You squeezed his hands and smiled at him. Raising yourself higher on your feet, you leaned toward his ear and after kissing his earlobe, a echoing tribute to the kiss he gave you the night before, you reassured him softly, “You weren’t.” Taking a small step back and releasing his hands, you smiled as you stepped backward onto the treadmill. You could both feel the heightened emotional tension but knew you had to break it or there would be no way for either of you to concentrate. You turned on the machine and started your brisk walk as Steve made his way over to the weights. He watched you as he grabbed the weights he wanted and sat on the bench to do his arm curls. Walking was your way of thinking. Sometimes it was calming and sometimes more things popped into your head that needed to be worked out, a sort of work curse. The first half dozen minutes on the mill you spent reliving Steve’s kiss. You felt something different in Steve, not a bad difference, but an uncharacteristic difference. Actually, the whole week had been uncharacteristic in both your lives. You turned up the treadmill and started to jog. But that kiss, woah that kiss! You _really_ enjoyed it and the excitement of this new relationship made your knees melt. Although now you had to turn your mental attention to this mission. You couldn’t believe Fury was putting you in. This was so exciting. You turned up the treadmill again, jogging faster. You had gone over the schematics and couldn’t get them any more imprinted on your brain than they already were. You knew exactly the plan and hoped it would go off without a hitch. What were you thinking? Of course it would go off without a hitch. Everything has so far, why would this be different? The feeling of this mission still had you scratching your head. Why did this bother you so much. You turned up the treadmill to a run. This got Steve’s attention. So why can’t we figure out the originating source? A lot of this doesn’t make sense. There had to be something you were missing. You’d have to go over everything again with Maria and see if you could pick your intel apart. You went to turn up the treadmill again and Steve’s hand covered the controls, turning the speed down. You snapped out of your think cloud and slowed yourself to a jog, sweat starting to glisten on your forehead.

“Are you alright?” Steve asked. “You were running almost as fast as me,” he said with a slight smirk, hoping to break any stress you might have been building up.

“Yes, of course. I was just thinking and I was really...I don’t know, stuck in my head. I didn’t realize what I was doing.” Your jog slowed right down to a walk as Steve kept turning the speed of the machine down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Don’t apologize,” Steve smiled, “I just didn’t want to see you get hurt. You must have been really been stuck up there,” he tapped on his temple. “This must be what you do while you’re thinking, continuous movement….because I’ve seen you dance while you work, remember?” he started to chuckle while handing you a towel.

You wiped your forehead and as much as you tried to hold it back, you started to laugh, knowing that you’d get busted for that every time. “I honestly don’t know what to say to that,” you admitted with a smile as you stepped off the treadmill. 

Steve put his hand under your chin and pulled you closer. “Just don’t go running or dancing into oblivion,” he flashed a smile at you before giving you a quick kiss. “Do you want to get some lunch?”

“Absolutely.”

~~~~~~

Sitting in Mess Hall with the team was becoming quite the event. You really enjoyed spending time with everyone and made a mental note at how wonderful you’ve been treated by them, making you feel like you belonged right from the beginning. It was an amazing feeling, a feeling that was so rudely interrupted by….

Bzzzzzzz.

Bzzzzzzz.

“Ugh, this thing really knows how to be a killjoy.”

NF: Briefing Hall in 15

F/I L/I: Yes, Sir

“I have to go,” you stood and looked at Steve.

“Me, too,” Tony stood a few spots down from you.

“Really?” 

“It’s you and me, Kiddo.”

“Good luck!” everyone shouted to you both.

You put your hand on Steve’s shoulder as you walked past and told everyone you’d see them later. Tony waited for you at the end of the table and you walked out of the room together. Just outside the Mess Hall, you turned to him and said you had to go get suited up. “I’ll meet you there.” He gave you a quick wink and you both turned in opposite directions. Steve kept his eyes on you until you were out of sight. Was it time to start worrying?

The team for this expedition assembled in the Briefing Hall. You checked in with Fury who was talking to Rhodes. Establishing a seat, Tony came and sat next to you. “Nice suit. I’ll make you a better one.”

“What? Tony, no. It’s a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. mission uniform. It’s what I’m supposed to wear and it’s fine.”

“Uh huh,” he mumbled.

“Alright everyone, listen up!” Fury began his briefing and Tony pulled out his phone and started playing games. You shook your head as you noticed his inattentiveness. You figured the briefing would be the same as the first ground mission and for the satellite locations it was, but Fury caught your attention with a minor detail for your portion. 

“I will not be sending as many agents to the hub as Stark will be able to patrol at least half of the perimeter from the air,” the Director detailed. “Alright everyone prep for flight and play nice out there. Agent ‘l/n’, here’s your data drive.”

You stood and left Tony in his seat, figuring his genius brain probably played his video game, listened to Fury’s briefing, tweaked JARVIS’ matrix, texted Bruce in the lab, and bought a new car online. You accepted the data drive from Fury then made your way to the armoury and loaded up your belt and a small backpack to take with you. The other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were introducing themselves and you were all conversing with each other

“Agent ‘l/n’.” You turned toward the voice. “I’m Agent Wallis, Agent in Charge. Welcome to the team.”

“Thank you, I look forward to working with you on this mission.”

“We’ll be up in about three minutes. See you on the jet.”

“Yes, Sir.” You took a minute more to double check your supplies and walked out onto the tarmac. Your hatred for flying formed a lump in your throat. The Helicarrier was smooth, you couldn’t tell you were flying, but being on a jet would be a different story. Okay, calm, calm, calm. You can do this. Don’t give them a reason to suspect anything is wrong. Deep breath in...and exhale slow. 

“‘L/n’, you coming?” Agent Wallace called out to you.

“On my way, Sir.” You walked toward the jet, boarded and found a seat along the side.

“See you there, Kiddo,” you heard through your comm. Looking out the back of the jet, you saw Tony take off from the tarmac. Dang, that was cool! The remaining agents loaded onto the jet and sat all around you. Voices came from the pilot and you knew he was asking Maria for permission for takeoff. Feeling the jet leave the ground, you could tell it was different. You were hovering and it was strange. Grabbing the edge of your seat, your fingers curled under and probably sliced open the material with how tight your grip was. Eyes scanning the other agents, your prayers were answered when you realized they didn’t notice your actions. The flight was short, only a couple of turbulent minutes but you were ever so thankful when it was over. Agent Wallace gave some last minute details as you checked your tablet for heat signatures. 

“All right then, let’s get out there and get that perimeter checked out. Stark’s got the building and perimeter on the other side. ‘L/n’, you let me know when you’re ready for Air Force backup.”

“Yes, Sir,” you acknowledged as you gave all the agents their tablets.

“Okay, let’s roll.”

The hatch opened and you all started to file out the back of the jet and stepped into a veil of sand and heat. It was blazing hot and the wind carried so much sand in the air that all agents would have to rely on their tablets as GPS. You reached into your backpack and grabbed your goggles and put them on.

“Tony, are you able to see anything?”

“Not much. JARVIS is scanning for me.”

“I really should have checked The Weather Network before leaving. We’re heading toward the bunker now.”

“JARVIS, find ‘f/n’’s biopattern from the bracelet and track her for me, please.” 

“Of course, Sir. You should see her signal now.”

“Got her, thanks, J.”

“Sir?” You asked Agent Wallace.

“‘L/n’.”

“Our tablets have interference from the storm so the carrier could have technical issues reading us.”

“Good point, I’ll check in with them. Go ahead with your squad and radio in at each checkpoint.” You nodded and turned to head out with the other agents. “Agent Wallace to Base, come in.”

“Go ahead Agent Wallace, this is Agent Hill. What is your status?”

“We landed and we’re in the middle of a sand storm and extreme heat. Are you able to sync in to our feed?”

“We’re able to track you although the feed is not stable. Exercise extreme caution. Hill out.”

“Roger that, Wallace out.”

Steve walked onto the Bridge and observed the screens as they displayed their static feed from the hub. “What’s going on, Maria? Is everything alright?” His heart rate started to pick up the pace, thinking something was wrong.

“Wallace’s team landed in a sand storm and high heat. We have the feed but it’s cutting in and out.”

“Are they okay down there? Do they need backup?”

“I think they’re good, Steve. It looks like the team is starting to spread out. They have to use the GPS on their tablets as visibility isn’t great and Stark has JARVIS scanning as his visibility is low, as well.”

Steve leaned against the wall, watching and listening to the comm feeds. The satellite locations checked in and they were already coming back. There were no weapons to be found so the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in charge destroyed the bunkers. Steve looked at Hill and displayed an odd gesture on his face. No weapons? It was a strange turn of events. He watched the dots on the screen of you and your co-agents and saw all of you advance toward the hub. They were moving swiftly so he figured you were all jogging. When the group reached the quarter mile mark, you checked in with Wallace.

“Agent Wallace, this is Agent ‘l/n’, come in.”

“Go ahead, Agent ‘l/n’.”

“We’re at our first checkpoint and dropping Agents Hayes, Turnbull and Jones to spread out and cover the perimeter posts. ‘L/n’ out.”

“Roger that. Wallace out.”

“Okay everyone, three more checkpoints. It’s really hot so water yourself well.” You all took off in a steady jog. A few minutes later, your group reached the next checkpoint, radioed in to Agent Wallace and left three of your buddies behind at their posts. You were all going through water like crazy and hoping you all had enough with you. 

At the next checkpoint, you all made the unanimous decision that the wind and visibility was getting worse. “‘F/n’, your face is getting sand burnt,” commented an agent.

“I was just going to say the same about all of you, too. Time to make a wardrobe adjustment. “You’ll want to pull your t-shirt from under your jacket and cover your face.” You yanked your arms into your jacket and started peeling your sweaty shirt off your body. Keeping it on your neck, you brought it up through the jacket top. You hoisted it straight up so that the neck hole covered from the bridge of your nose, downward. You hissed as the material rested on the newly exposed skin. Now you had a ball cap, goggles and the remainder of your face was covered, as well as the rest of your body due to your jacket and pants. Your co-agents followed your lead as you radioed in to Agent Wallace and left the next set of agents behind.

The final checkpoint was reached and you were all pretty hot. “Agent ‘l/n’ to Agent Wallace, come in.” 

“‘L/n’, are you all okay?”

“We’re at the final checkpoint. I’m estimating another five minutes to get to the hub. I’m not detecting any heat signatures at this point and am really relying on the GPS as visibility is brutal.”

“Be careful, ‘l/n’. Check in when you get there. Stark, what’s your status?”

“I’m above the sandstorm and scanning the area. Looks pretty dead. ‘F/n’’s path should be clear and I’ll touch Base for a weapons check.”

“Roger that. Wallace out.”

Tony was keeping a close eye on your signal as he was silently worrying about the severity of the sand storm. The team in the carrier had been listening in and hoping the Air Force jet would be able to land when you reached the hub.

You took off after making sure your agent friends’ tablets were working properly before they branched out to their posts. You kept telling yourself that it was only another quarter mile and that you could do it. You and everyone else were hot and sweaty with sand burning your faces and sticking to everywhere else. A cool shower would be your number one wish right now, but you had a job to do and you were almost there. Watching your GPS, you knew you were mere yards away from the bunker. Your mind was blown that there were no heat signatures but you pressed on. Once you reached the building, you did a quick perimeter check before calling in to Agent Wallace. “Sir, I’m at the bunker and am about to enter. Heat signatures are negative.”

“Roger that.”

You reached the garage-type entry and tried to lift the door. It was locked but you figured you’d be able to pick it, rather than expend your energy to reef it off its track. Pulling your pin kit from your belt, you stuck it in the lock and you were immediately able to turn the handle. “Guess they’re not all about safety,” you commented. 

“‘F/n’, are you in?” Tony asked through the comm.

“I’m in….and you’re not going to believe this…..there’s nothing in here.”

“I’m on my way.”

Surprised at the emptiness of the building, you carefully removed your ‘protective gear’ from your face, relieved not to be pelted by that nasty grit in the wind. It was mere seconds later that you heard Tony fly over the bunker and land just outside. He walked in and raised his face plate. “Hey Kiddo, glad you got here in one...oooooh, that looks painful.” He walked over to you and put his iron hand under your chin, observing the raw skin on your cheek and neck.

“It’s fine.”

“Liar. We’ll have to get you some medication for that. So, where’s the goods?” he shifted his eyes around the large, baron area.

“Good question.” You scanned your tablet to determine if there were any underground areas that could secretly house weapons. Nothing. “Tony, anything I might have missed?” 

“I’ve got nothing.”

“Agent ‘l/n’ to Base, come in.”

“Go ahead, Agent ‘l/n’.”

“We are a negative for Air Force backup. There are no weapons in this bunker. I am heading to the office now to retrieve any data and will head back to the Quinjet.”

“Roger that. Base out.” Maria turned and looked at Steve. All Iranian locations were without weapons. “‘F/n’’s right, there’s something really wrong with this situation. We need to regroup and figure this out.” Steve nodded in agreement. Just then, Rhodes came running through the Bridge to Fury’s office and shut the door. Steve and Maria looked at each other. “Yup, looks like something’s wrong,” Maria stated. “Base to Agent Wallace.”

“Wallace here, go ahead.”

“You might want to call your agents in. ‘L/n’ has no weapons in the bunker and will be returning to you shortly.”

“Roger that, Wallace out.”

“Okay Tony, I’ve wiped the drive clean.” You started to get yourself ready to head back to the jet.

“Wait, you can’t go back out there. That sand will tear you apart.”

“I have to go on foot, Tony. You’re my perimeter guy who’s going to blow the bunker and I have to be clear. Agent Wallace just called all the perimeter agents back so it’s a straight run for me.” You headed out the door and started running in the heat and sand.

Tony exited the building and flew above the storm. “J, is ‘f/n’ clear enough for me to blow this joint?” 

“She will be at a safe distance in six seconds, Sir. Five, four, three, two…...it is now safe to destroy the bunker.” Tony shot one small missile down to the area below watched the impact surface through the sand.

You were running and heard the blast. “Geez, he could have just pushed it over, it was that rickety,” you giggled. After about a half mile, you stopped briefly to swig some water. 

“Coming in to getcha, Kid.”

“What? What do you…..aaaaahhhhh!”

Tony swooped down and snatched you up, flying off toward the Quinjet. You held on for dear life as you turned your head toward Tony’s body, avoiding the sand. Within seconds, you felt Tony descend to the ground.

“Thank you, Tony,” you said as you let go of his neck. You gave his mask a quick peck on the cheek and and immediately commented, “mmm, gritty! And don’t think that I’m not pissed that you have A/C in that suit!” Smiling, you quickly turned and ran toward the jet and boarded.

“Hmm, sweet and smart ass...love that combination,” Tony smirked then took off toward the helicarrier.

“Agent ‘l/n’, are you okay? Did you get your data?”

You sat and pulled your hat, goggles and t-shirt from your neck. Sand from all the agents was everywhere. “Yes, Sir. I’m fine and I have the data drive right here,” you pointed to a small pouch on your belt.

“Excellent. Good job. I’ll let you know that the other away teams have already returned to the carrier. Their locations were without weapons, as well.”

“What? Seriously?” Wallace nodded. “Sir, something _really_ isn’t right.”


End file.
